United States Patent Publication 20080106794 (“Messina”), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, allegedly discloses, “[c]ertain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise illuminating a component via a beamsplitter. The beamsplitter can comprise at least three distinct light reflection zones. The beamsplitter can be adapted to illuminate a component with light energy reflected from each of a plurality of distinct light reflection zones.” See Abstract.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,847 (“Zhu”), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, allegedly discloses, “[a] digital imaging-based bar code symbol reading device comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; an image formation and detection subsystem employing a CMOS area-type image sensing array; an LED-based illumination subsystem; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; an image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input/output subsystem; and a system control subsystem for controlling the subsystems. The LED-based illumination subsystem is automatically driven by the automatic light exposure measurement and control subsystem responsive to the generation of control activation signals by the image sensing array and the automatic object presence detection subsystem during object illumination and image capture operations.” See Abstract.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,883 (“Stern”), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, allegedly discloses that “[a] system for simultaneously obtaining a plurality of images of an object or pattern from a plurality of different viewpoints is provided. Proper image contrast is obtained by replacing the light sources of earlier systems with equivalent light sensitive devices and replacing the cameras of earlier systems with equivalent light sources. Bright-field and dark-field images may be simultaneously obtained. In another aspect, a light source is positioned to illuminate at least some of an object. A plurality of light guides are positioned to simultaneously receive light reflected from the object and transmit it to a plurality of photodetectors. The light guides are arranged so their respective input ends are spaced substantially equally along at least a portion of a surface of an imaginary hemisphere surrounding the object. The signals from the photodetectors are processed and a plurality of images are formed. Another aspect provides generating composite images from simultaneously obtained images. Equivalent regions of each image geographically identical subpictures) are compared. The subpicture having the highest entropy is selected and stored. This process continues for all subpictures. A new composite picture is generated by combining the selected subpictures. In another aspect, the vector of relative light values gathered for each pixel or region of an object illuminated or scanned is used to determine reflectance properties of points or regions illuminated on the object or pattern. The reflectance properties may be stored in a matrix and the matrix used to read, for example, a Bar Code of a data matrix symbol.” See Abstract.